Scoliosis

Symptoms:

• Shoulder Blades are different heights.
• Appearence of hips, one may be more prominent than the other.
• Rib cage may stick out or become noticably un-even.
• Leaning on one side of the whole body.
• Back pain and/or difficulty breathing

Body systems affected:
Skeletal

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. Usually it does not cause pain and at worst scoliosis can interfere with the function of organs. From the side it takes the form of an elongated S, the upper back bowing outward and lower back curving slightly inward. Viewed from behind, the spine should appear as a straight line from the base of the neck to the tailbone. If you have Scoliosis the view from behind may show one or more curves. Most cases of Scoliosis dont get worse and periodic check ups may be all that is needed. Children with a more severe case of Scoliosis willl show at these check ups that the curve in the spine increases along with the childs growth. Some cases are left as they are and monitered where as some children requite a brace or at worst surgery. Scoliosis is usually genetic, but doctors dont know the cause.

Fun Facts:
• Girls more often than boys are reported to have scoliosis.
• Out of every 1,000 children, 3 to 5 develop scoliosis severe enough to need treatment.
• I have scoliosis :)


Sources:
http://www.iscoliosis.com/
www.medicinenet.com/scoliosis/article.htm

Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor that develops in the core of the adrenal gland. Your adrenal glands produce hormones that give instructions to your cells.

Symptoms can include: High Blood Pressure, Rapid heart rate, Forceful heart beat, Profound sweating, Abdominal pain, Sudden onset headaches, feeling of anxiety and extreme fright, Pale skin, and Weight Loss.

The Endocrine system is effected the most by Pheochromocytoma. This effects the hormones sent out by this system which can effect other systems.

Sources:

www.google.com/health/ref/pheochromocytoma

http://www.ispub.com/

Eye Cancer

Symptoms:
- Decreased ability to see
- Floaters, which are spots or squiggles drifting in the field of vision, or flashes of light
- Visual field loss, losing part of your field of sight so that instead of seeing all around, you only see part of what is around you.
- A dark spot growing on the iris
- A change in position of the eyeball within its socket
- Bulging of the eye
- A change in the way the eye moves within the socket


The body system affected by eye cancer is the nervous system.

Fast Facts:
- It’s more common in people who have a lighter colored eye color and skin tone and weaker immune systems
- Wearing UV clothing, sunscreen, and UV sunglasses helps prevention

Sources:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_eye_cancer_diagnosed_74.asp?sitearea

http://www.mahalo.com/eye-cancer

Monkeypox

Monkeypox is a rare disease that can be closley compared to small-pox. This disease usually occurs primarily in the rainforests of west and central Africa. Laboratory tests have also shown that this disease can also infect rodents.Monkeypox is caused by a Monkeypox Virus, which belongs to the orthopoxvirus group of viruses.

Symptoms Include:

• Enlargement of lymph nodes.
• Fever
• Headaches
• Muscle Aches
• Backache
• Exhaustion
• General Discomfort
• Papular Rash

Monkeypox usually last about 2-4 weeks.

Body Systems Affected:

• Lymphatic: lymph nodes get swollen and disease affects the body's immunity
  
• Integumentary:Skin gets really bad rashes and bumps

• Muscular:disease makes muscles feel sore and weak

Resources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/monkeypox/article.htm#tocd

Esophageal Cancer

Symptoms.

• severe weight loss
• vomiting
  
• coughing up blood
• serious cough
• pain or trouble swallowing
• pain in the throat, back, behind the breastbone, or between the shoulder blades.

Affected Body Systems.

• digestive system

Sources.
http://www.medicinenet.com/esophageal_cancer/page3.htm#4whatare
http://www.gastrointestinalatlas.com/EsophagealCa2.jpg

celiac disease

symptoms

children and infants:

abdominal bloating and pain
chronic diarrhea
vomiting
constipation
pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool
weight loss

adults

fatigue
bone or joint pain
arthritis
bone loss or osteoporosis
depression or anxiety
tingling numbness in the hands and feet
seizures
missed menstrual periods
infertility or recurrent miscarriage
canker sores inside the mouth
an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis

main body system affected:

• digestive
• skeletal

Sources

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/index.htm#symptoms

http://incostress1.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/villi.jpg

i got it :)

i got it :)

Arthritis

Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. A joint functions to move the body parts connected by its bones. Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints. Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain.

There are many types of arthritis (over 100 and growing). The types range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage (such as osteoarthritis) to those associated with inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system (such as rheumatoid arthritis). Together, the many types of arthritis make up the most common chronic illness in the United States.
The causes of arthritis depend on the form of arthritis. Causes include injury (leading to osteoarthritis), metabolic abnormalities (such as gout and pseudogout), hereditary factors, infections, and unclear reasons (such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus).
Arthritis is classified as one of the rheumatic diseases. These are conditions that are different individual illnesses, with differing features, treatments, complications, and prognoses. They are similar in that they have a tendency to affect the joints, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons, and many have the potential to affect other internal body areas.

Symptoms:
include pain and limited function of joints
joint stiffness, swelling, redness, warmth, tenderness of the inflamed joint

Body Systems :
Many of the forms of arthritis, because they are rheumatic diseases, can cause
symptoms affecting various organs of the body that do not directly involve the joints. Therefore, symptoms in some patients with certain forms of arthritis can also include fever, gland swelling (lymph node), weight loss, fatigue, feeling unwell, and even symptoms from abnormalities of organs such as the lungs, heart, or kidneys.

Fun Fact:
Arthritis sufferers include men and women, children and adults. Approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis. Nearly 40 million people in the United States are affected by arthritis, including over a quarter million children!
More than 27 million Americans have osteoarthritis. Approximately 1.3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
More than half of those with arthritis are under 65 years of age. Nearly 60% of Americans with arthritis are women.

Source:
http://www.medicinenet.com/arthritis/article.htm

Mononucleosis AKA Mono

Overview

Mononucleosis is a viral infection causing fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands, especially in the neck.

Symptoms

Mono may begin slowly with fatigue, a general ill feeling, headache, and sore throat. The sore throat slowly gets worse. Your tonsils become swollen and develop a whitish-yellow covering. The lymph nodes in the neck are frequently swollen and painful.

A pink, measles-like rash can occur and is more likely if you take the medicines ampicillin or amoxicillin for a throat infection. (Antibiotics should NOT be given without a positive Strep test.)

Symptoms of mononucleosis include:

• Drowsiness
• Fever
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle aches or stiffness
• Rash
• Sore throat
• Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck and armpit
• Swollen spleen

Causes

Mononucleosis, or mono, is often spread by saliva and close contact. It is known as "the kissing disease," and occurs most often in those age 15 to 17. However, the infection may develop at any age.

Mono is usually linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but can also be caused by other organisms such as cytomegalovirus (CMV).

SARS ( Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a contagious and sometimes fatal respiratory illness. SARS first appeared in China in November 2002. Within six weeks, SARS spread worldwide, carried by unsuspecting travelers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 8,000 people were infected and about 800 eventually died of severe acute respiratory syndrome during the outbreak.

Symptomss:

• Fever, 100.4 F (38 C) or higher
• Chills
• Muscle soreness
• Headache
• General feeling of discomfort

Body systems affected:

• Lympathic system: Infectious to the body's immune system
  
• Respiratory system: affects breathing system

Resource:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sars/DS00501